Think of the contrast between the all-powerful Wizard of Oz and the man behind the curtain. At some point in people's careers, most worry that they're the weak person controlling the levers instead of the formidable wizard. Known as imposter syndrome, 70% of...
In my former leadership roles, I had the great opportunity to lead culturally diverse teams worldwide. Some of those teams were remote as each entity existed separately from our parent headquarters. Each was “remote” and self-sustaining, but remote by location--not...
Call it a personal peeve of mine, or maybe just me getting old, but when someone says the phrase, “They are on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP),” it is like nails on a chalkboard for me! Fortunately, I have never been on a PIP, but I have worked with many who have...
In a recent workshop I attended, a discussion arose around the concept of adapting to others as a leader versus expecting followers to adapt to the leader. We explored adaptation as the “Platinum Rule,” where you treat others as they need to be treated (versus the...
Many organizations don’t really have serious retention strategies. If I had $1,000 for every business leader who used “my kids” as a significant data point, I would have retired long ago. If I had an additional $1,000 for every time someone said something like, “We...
“I QUIT!” says one of your high potential employees as they enter the office on a Monday morning. You are perplexed and entirely caught by surprise by this situation. What do you do next? I would argue that battling employee turnover does not start when employees...
"When employees know and use their strengths, they are more engaged – nearly 6x more – have higher performance and are much less likely to leave their company." – Gallup Like so many others, I learned to lead through trial and error. It wasn't until late in my career...
A few years ago, I met a colleague in Paris for dinner before a meeting the next day with our international partners. We had an aggressive agenda planned for the meeting, and I was anxious to review my notes and refine my engagement strategy. We sat outside at the...
Today's leaders face a significant opportunity in how they intentionally adapt to their workforce. Despite what has been coined the "Big Quit" or "Great Resignation," employees are waiting for a boss like you who can personalize their leadership experience to the new...
Empowerment Through Proper Delegation When I was younger, cutting corners on a specific task for my dad never saved me any time. You see, Dad had a knack for detail and process, and he wanted me to get it right the first time versus getting it done quickly. He held me...